The safety of your child is paramount and I will always try to ensure that they remain with me at all times. In the unlikely event of a child going missing or becoming ‘lost’ whilst in my care I will take the following steps:
● I will immediately raise the alarm to all around me that I have lost a child and enlist the help of everyone to look for them
● I will provide everyone involved in the search with a description of the child.
● I will reassure the other children with me, as they may be distressed. If possible I will leave the children with a responsible person that I know has been DBS checked, for example, another staff member, while I continue to look for the missing child.
● If the child is not found in the immediate area within 10 minutes, I will then alert the police and provide a full description and look for a recent photograph.
● I will alert the parents of the situation and continue to help on the advice of the police. I take the following precautions to avoid situations like this from happening:
● Ensuring the walk to the cricket pavilion is thoroughly risk assessed.
● Avoid going to places that are overcrowded.
● Teach the children about the dangers of wandering off and of talking to strangers.
I will take every precaution I can to ensure the safety of the children I care for and protect them from harm. Unfortunately, accidents may still happen, so I have written the following procedure to set out how I will deal with any accidents or incidents that occur:
1. I will comfort the child/ren and reassure them.
2. I will assess the extent of their injuries and, where necessary, call for medical support/ambulance. 3. I will use my knowledge of first aid and carry out any first aid procedures that are necessary and that I have been trained to do.
4. As soon as the child is more settled I will contact you to inform you of the accident and if necessary to ask you to collect your child.
After every accident I will:
1. Inform parents of the incident
2. Complete an accident/incident form
3. Ask you to read and sign the form (either a paper copy or via text message/email)
If the incident requires any medical treatment then I will:
1. Inform my Insurance Company Morton Michel as soon as possible
2. Inform the Health & Safety Executive of any serious reportable accidents or injuries/death of a child whilst in my care and act on any advice given.
It is important that you keep me informed regarding your child’s condition following an accident and if you have sought medical advice. I have received pediatric first aid training by an approved trainer. My current certificate expires on 22/08/24
I will also have a first aid box with me at all times to enable me to provide basic first aid to the children in my care.
If you do not arrive to collect your child within 15 minutes of your scheduled collection time and I have had no contact from you, I will get in touch with your emergency contact. If no one is available to collect the child I will contact the local authority children’s services team and follow their advice. I will not release a child from my care into the care of an adult I suspect is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In this situation, I will follow my emergency contact procedures and if no one is available to collect the child I will contact the local authority designated officer and follow their advice.
In the event of a fire or other emergency that would cause us to evacuate the premises I will gather all the children and safely make our way to the nearest available exit at the back door of the building, if this is inaccessible we would use the doors at the side or front of the property. All exits from the building are kept clear and free from hazards. I keep my mobile phone fully charged and with me at all times in case of emergency. Once we are safely away from the building I will call the Emergency Services. In the event that we can't get safely out of the building I will take the children to the furthest away room from the emergency, close all doors and seal the door with towels or similar items, and I will then call the Emergency Services. The village hall building has fire alarms fitted and all electrical appliances have been recently PAT tested, and the gas boiler has been checked. I practice half-termly fire drills with the children, following this evacuation plan so that children would know what to do in the event of a real emergency and so that they don’t become too scared if an emergency were to arise.
In the event of an emergency evacuation I would take with me:
○ Attendance Record for the day
○ Contact numbers
○ Mobile phone I would take all children out of the building safely and assemble at the assembly point.
The assembly point is: outside the spar shop. Once we were safely out of the premises I would contact the emergency services and then contact all the children’s parents and ask them to collect as soon as possible. I would ensure children were kept safe and were reassured whilst they were waiting to be collected. I would not re-enter the building until it was advised by the emergency services that it was safe to do so.
I provide a quality-led, safe, hospitable, educational environment for the children and families I work with. I work within the terms of our agreed contract to ensure that all aspects of your experience with me are positive. However, there may be times when you are not happy with some part of the service I have provided to you. Please come and speak to me directly in this case so I can identify the cause of the complaint and work together to find a solution. I will always make every effort to accommodate these conversations at a suitable time for you, ideally when there are no children present. If you prefer not to discuss the issues with me in person then please use any other form of communication (text, in-app message, email, letter) to let me know about your concerns. I keep a complaints log. All data relating to complaints is strictly confidential.
In order to provide a quality care service, I need to set reasonable and appropriate limits to help manage the behaviour of the children.
I aim to promote positive behaviour, and I do this by:
● Giving specific praise for good behaviour.
· Ensuring the children are reminded of what is expected of them at our sessions: such as being treating each other and staff with respect, having fun without rowdy or aggressive behaviour, no bullying or physical contact with others during sessions.
● Making children feel valued by giving them individual attention
● Being a role model and setting a good example
● Listening to the children and responding as appropriate.
There are different reasons that cause children to behave in different ways. I will endeavour to keep to routines so that your child feels safe and is not overtired or hungry. I have a group ethos which I use to help the children understand what is and what is not acceptable behaviour. I will use the following strategies if I feel that a child’s behaviour is not appropriate. I will use different ones depending on the age/stage of ability of the child and the situation:
● Distraction. I will remove the child from the situation and give them an alternative activity.
● Ignore. Depending on the situation I may ignore inappropriate behaviour if I feel it is being done to get a reaction.
● Talk with the child. I will discuss their behaviour and try and get them to appreciate the consequences of their actions. I will explain to them that it is their behaviour that I do not like, not them.
I will always work with you so that we can support a child’s behaviour together. If I have any concerns, I will let you know by either making a relevant observation on by contacting you later after collection. Children can become upset if the negative beahviour is retold in front of them, so I will endeavour not to do this. I will also inform you of how the matter was dealt with. I will only ever use physical intervention to manage behaviour if it is necessary to prevent personal injury to the child, another child or adult. I will inform you if this has occurred and record it as an incident. You will be asked to read and sign the incident form. If you have any concerns regarding the supporting of your child’s behaviour, please do not hesitate to contact me. Working together to support your child in order not to confuse them is really important.
In rare circumstances, children’s behavior can cause a negative impact on others during sessions, affecting others wellbeing and experience. If no improvement occurs after working with the child and their parents to resolve issues surrounding behavior, I will terminate our contract due to safeguarding issues and refund any care paid for that hasn’t been used.
I, Amanda Fairbank Hall, the safeguarding leader at Brockham Arts Club, always consider the needs of the children to be paramount. My primary responsibility will always be to the child, as laid down in the What to do if you are worried a child is being abused and Working together to safeguard children guidance, which I and any assistants have a summary of. I’ll also be able to get advice and guidance from the following organisations / government bodies:
1. Surrey’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
2. C-SPA Child Protection Consultation Line
3. Surrey Children's Single Point of Access (SPA).
4. NSPCC
This safeguarding policy and accompanying child protection procedures set out in detail my approach to safeguarding children and/or their parents/carers. I will review this policy every year (or as required) as a reflection of my commitment to safeguarding children and their families. This will be in addition to ongoing reflection/review and update to my practice, which includes ongoing training and professional development.
● The children in my care and their health, development, safety, security, welfare and well-being are my number one priority.
I recognise the fundamental importance of the bond between the child and their parent/carer and aim to provide support and assistance in strengthening this in any way I can. With this in mind, I view it as our responsibility to identify and act on any concerns for children or their parents/carers across the entire safeguarding spectrum of need, from early low-level support to targeted interventions, through to child protection. Any person I work with has a duty to safeguard children and report bad practise or abuse if they suspect it.
What you will do…
● You will let me know of any changes at home that could significantly affect your child’s behaviour. ● You will let me know about any existing injuries or incidents so I can record them.
Ofsted says safeguarding is defined as...
● protecting children from maltreatment
● preventing impairment of children’s health or development
● ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
● taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
Any cause for concern will be recorded and reported to the appropriate person in line with my local safeguarding Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) procedures. Any death or serious accident or injury will be notified to the local LSP, 'tiney', my insurer and any advice given will be followed. I live in Mole Valley and the MASH contact details can be found at the end of this document. I will update my safeguarding training regularly and at least every three years.
I will ensure that every person over the age of 16 in my setting and anyone in regular unsupervised contact with children in my care has an up to date DBS Check. Any employees will be required to undergo DBS checks, Local authority checks and submit references to me as well as receiving full safeguarding training. I will be alert to the signs of abuse in all its forms. This includes (but is not limited to):
● Physical abuse
● Emotional abuse
● Sexual abuse
● Neglect
● Bullying (including online bullying)
● Peer on peer abuse
● Racist, transphobic, homophobic abuse
● Disability
● Gender-based violence
● Radicalisation and extremist behaviour
● Sexual exploitation and trafficking
● Modern slavery
● Honour-based abuse (including female genital mutilation and forced marriage)
● Substance misuse
● Domestic violence
● Fake illness
I will make sure no one at the premise is under the influence of drugs or alcohol that could affect their ability to care for children. I will not release a child from the premise into the care of an adult I suspect is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In this situation, I will follow my emergency contact procedures and if no one is available to collect the child I will contact the local authority social services team and follow their advice.
I will pay particular attention to:
● Changes in behaviour
● A significant change for the worse in a child’s overall wellbeing
● Unexplained bruising or marks that could indicate abuse or neglect
● Any concerning comments
● Another member of staff who may be displaying inappropriate behaviour towards a child or children in their care
● Any other concerns I may have about abuse occurring in the child’s home including regular non-attendance.
In any of these instances, I will contact the local authority designated officer and tiney and follow their advice.
What I will do if an allegation is made against me or employee…
I must notify the local authority designated officer (LADO) and 'tiney' immediately about any allegations of abuse that is alleged to have taken place while a child was in my care involving an employee or other adult or child who has been in contact with children in the premises.
What I will do if I suspect a child is being abused…
If I suspect a child is being abused I will immediately report this to Ofsted, social services and the police if appropriate. In these circumstances, I will give all the information required to the relevant authority, including any confidential information that may be appropriate. If a child tells me they or another child are being abused I will listen, encourage them to speak, take them seriously, explain clearly what I am going to do next and then note down as clearly as possible their words and details of anyone else who was present. I won’t prompt the child to speak or ask them to repeat themselves. I will not investigate any allegations myself. I will immediately report to the local authority designated officer, and 'tiney' and follow their advice.
What I will do if I am aware of private fostering arrangements…
If I know a child in my care is subject to a private fostering arrangement I have a legal duty to report it to Surrey Children’s Services. I will contact CSPA on 0300 470 9100 Social care will then make their own checks on the carers and parents.
Mobile phones and cameras or other digital devices with cameras…
I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office as a data controller. I will use my mobile phone or other digital devices (including tablet or laptop) during the working day in certain circumstances. My devices are password protected and stored safely to minimise the risk of being lost or stolen. What I will do:
● make sure I am contactable in the event of an emergency
● take necessary phone calls to do with my business
● use for secure messaging, taking photographs to help with club observations and recording children’s progress.
● store emergency contact details on my phone so they are easy to access when I am out
● use my camera and my phone camera to take photos of children in my care which I may use to create displays at the venue or to send to parents to show a child’s progress. If I wish to use any photographs for any marketing or other purposes I will seek written parental permission first.
● ensure that any photograph taken of a child in my care is appropriate in terms of their dress and activity.
● Ensure that any photos stored on my devices for work purposes are properly password protected and they are deleted when not required.
● Printing will take place only when strictly necessary using a dedicated printer or photo printing service
Visitors to my setting (including parents) will not be allowed to take photographs of the children in my care.
I may need to share photographs with local authority staff, the local safeguarding partnership for regulatory and safeguarding purposes.
If an older child (my own or a cared-for child) brings a mobile phone to my sessions, I will make it clear that the phone is only to be used for emergency calls / texts while other children are present and ask that it be left in the child’s bag or a visible location.
I will be alert to people including parents taking photos of children in my care when I am out in a group or in public. I will ensure that no person without prior permission takes photos which include the children in my care.
Documents I have read and referred to…
● Tiney safeguarding training
● Working together to safeguard children 2015
● EYFS
● Protecting Children from Radicalisation (the Prevent Duty)
● Child sexual exploitation, definition and a guide for practitioners, local leaders and decision makers working to protect children from child sexual exploitation.’ (February 2017) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/591903/CSE_Guidance_Core_Document_13.02.2017.pdf
Useful contacts…
● My local authority is Mole Valley District Council
● My home address is: 10 Warrenne Road, Brockham, Surrey. RH37JY
● MASH team contact details
● LADO contact details0300 123 1650 / LADO@surreycc.gov.uk
● Department for Education concerns relating to extremism telephone helpline 020 7340 7264 Or by email to counter.extremism@education.gsi.gov.uk
● Local social services duty social worker : 0300 470 9100/ emergency out of hours: 01483 517898 ● Morton Michel Insurance
● NSPCC: 08088005000
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